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NBA ALL-STAR 2019

February 15, 2019

Kyle Kuzma

Charlotte, North Carolina

Q. What's your favorite video game and favorite sneaker?
KYLE KUZMA: Favorite video game, 2K. Sneaker, any Kobe shoe.

Q. And emoji?
KYLE KUZMA: 100 emoji.

Q. Do you remember the first time you dunked a basketball?
KYLE KUZMA: The first time, I think I was a 10th-grader. It was a little rim grazer.

Q. How long had you been practicing it before that?
KYLE KUZMA: Probably about a good year. Just trying to hit the top of the net and then finally dunked.

Q. What do you think is wrong with the Lakers?
KYLE KUZMA: We just need to have fun out there, play as a team, play some defense. That's kind of the problem.

Q. Don't you think at this point in the season you should have already been doing those things?
KYLE KUZMA: No, because we haven't had a team all year because we've been hurt. We've only played like eight games as a full roster.

Q. Let's talk about competition in tonight's game. We know that these games are fun, but you want to compete. Is there one person that you want to make sure you're playing hard against?
KYLE KUZMA: No, not really. I think this is a time to -- obviously, it's a competition, but you want to really enjoy this moment and kind of be out there and have fun a little bit. When the fourth quarter comes, time to get really competitive if it's a close game.

Q. What if I tell you that Lauri Markkanen said he was going to be going at you? Does that change the answer to your question?
KYLE KUZMA: No. I kill him every time we play them. No, I'm just kidding.

Q. If you had a choice, would you rather cross him up or posterize him or a combination thereof?
KYLE KUZMA: Probably a combination. Kill two birds with one stone.

Q. On Miles Bridges:
KYLE KUZMA: It's super cool to have Miles here. I've known him since he was in the sixth grade. I'm happy for him to come into the league and have the success he's had right now. What better than to be in the dunk contest? I've seen him from the start. He's been dunking since being a sixth-grader. To see it come to fruition after all these years is pretty dope.

Q. Talk about how you've grown as a player on the court and off the court in your two years.
KYLE KUZMA: I think I've grown a lot. One of the biggest things is probably my leadership skills. Being around great leaders and seeing how they operate has helped me out. Obviously, on the court, any time you work hard and always put the gym first, you know you're going to get better.

Q. Did you see yourself, as the 27th pick, having this much of a maturation?
KYLE KUZMA: If you ask me, I'm always going to say yes because I know how hard I work and how confident I am when I'm on the floor. So I kind of believe anything is possible for me.

Q. Who do you see winning Rookie of the Year?
KYLE KUZMA: Probably Luka. He just got all the hype to really win it. He's had a phenomenal year. He plays like a veteran.

Q. Have you started your podcast?
KYLE KUZMA: The podcast, no. I'm working on it, though. I think it would be a good thing to have other NBA players and people that don't really get to say what they want to say. A lot of players, they don't like speaking to the media because of how they feel about it. But it might be a little bit easier when you're talking to another player about certain things, just to make life easier and fun for entertainment.

Q. Do you like speaking to the media?
KYLE KUZMA: I do. I have no problems unless they ask dumb questions.

Q. I don't want to be the one to ask dumb questions.
KYLE KUZMA: Here it comes.

Q. How do you view the trade rumors?
KYLE KUZMA: Dumb question. No, the trade rumor is over. I've already said what I have to say. I'm tired of answering it. I'll probably answer trade rumors in April, too, but I don't care.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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